I've been doing less and less actual Edvy…well, that will be rectified soon. XD

I wa so tempted to give this a happy ending. I really, really wanted to, but it would have been painfully OOC

Pen-Name-Kitsune-Chan: I kinda figured XD I can sort of tell when someone's forgotten to log in, because everybody writes their reviews slightly differently. I'm glad you liked this one, I really wanted to have fun with the 'karmic death' idea.

As for Dante, I've always held that she's the one person that Envy honestly fears – which kind of hints at some abuse back when he was human :P

Eliza Loves Yaoi: *rubs back of head awkwardly* Aww…thanks. This chapter makes everybody cry (even me while writing it :P). I can't wait to see what you come up with!

What-is-the-color-of-love: Look at this way, you got to read 45 at once! Now you have to read one a day like everybody else (mwahahaha). Glad you're enjoying the oneshots ^^

46. Memories

It was the year 1904, and the immortal creature who had once been known as William Elric was watching children play with their mother.

"Mom, keep your eyes closed!"

Trisha laughed, a sweet sound that echoed over the gentle hills of Rizenbul, and squeezed her eyes even more tightly shut as the little boys led her across the field – one by the hand, the shorter tugging on her apron. "Okay, but are we nearly there?"

"Mhm! It's the bestest place in Rizenbul and nobody knows about it 'cept us and now you!"

And me, thought Envy with no small measure of vindictiveness as he followed them, perfectly disguised among the underbrush. He'd chosen a small form, a rattlesnake who could wind around the stones and slither silently across the ground.

The 'bestest place in Rizenbul' was a small pool, muddy and alive with bass-voiced frogs, fish that reflected the sun's rays like tiny, ever-shifting mirrors and the ripples made by the steady strokes of the weeping willows' wind-stirred branches. It was gorgeous, if dirty.

Envy hated it.

Trisha loved it. "Oh, it's wonderful!" she breathed, with no trace of falseness. She sat down in the mud, and her two boys joined her, one on either side.

Envy watched them still.

He wondered what would have happened if he'd ever brought Dante to a place like this – and on the heels of the stray thought came a memory, a scrap of humanity that emerged whenever he least wanted it.

"Mama, Mama! Come look, come look!" He tugged at her gown with muddy hands, but she snatched the skirt away with a disgusted sound.

"William, I'm busy."

"But I found a pretty!"

"Well, go enjoy your…pretty…then." She stalked away in her velvet, dark hair bound up in a jewelled nut.

William sat down hard, pouting and trying to force back the tears in his eyes. Mama never had time for his pretties.

Someone sat down next to him. He looked up. It was Papa, with a big smile on his face.

"You found a pretty?"

Will nodded, still pouting.

"Can I see?"

William's eyes lit up, and he sprang to his feet. "This way, Papa!"

Envy shook his reptilian head with a scowl, but examined the Trisha woman again – she was hoisting up her skirts now and splashing around in the pool with her boys. She reminded him, he realized sickly, of Hohenheim.

He could see why Hohenheim had left Dante now.

But why me?

Because he was a monster.

Still…there was a part of him tempting to transform into a little boy, suck his thumb and wail a little. He had no doubt that she would sweep over, ask what was wrong and give him a hug, let him cry into her apron.

It would be so easy.

Envy felt the tug at his heart again as Trisha lifted Al out of the pool and swung him around, giving the top of his head a big smooch.

"No fair, Mom! I want one too!"

"And you shall get one, my sweet little prince." She bent over and kissed Ed as well, laughing slightly at the flush on his face from being referred to as 'little'.

Envy slithered away. He was starting to feel sick.

"Mama, can I have a kiss?"

"No. You're covered in dirt. Go clean yourself, you mucky little brat."

"Mama, can I have a hug?"

"There. That was a hug. Now go away."

"Mama, I tripped and hurted myself!"

"Then don't run so fast in the halls."

"But it huurrts!"

"Then you've learned your lesson."

He raised his head for one last look. Trisha's laugh still rang across the field.

"You should have been my mother." He gave voice to his wish, quietly where nobody would hear his blasphemy, and then disappeared into the long grass.